Assistant Manager Product Development - Food Services

National Foods Limited is committed to growth by strengthening its brands, financial position, and global presence while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability. We are seeking a dedicated professional to enhance and evolve our institutional and food-service product range. This role involves collaborating closely with Sales and the Culinary Experience Manager teams to ensure that all food-service development projects progress smoothly from initial concept through to successful market launch, aligning with customer preferences, regulatory standards, and emerging market trends.

Key Responsibilities

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Sales and Regional/National Culinary Experience Managers, to generate and develop innovative food product ideas tailored for institutional and food-service customers.
- Analyze market trends, competitor offerings, and customer preferences alongside Sales and Culinary teams to identify opportunities for product innovation and improvement.
- Develop and refine recipes and formulations in partnership with Culinary Experience Managers, focusing on taste, texture, appearance, nutritional content, and ingredient proportions to meet institutional/HORECA requirements.
- Ensure all product development complies with food safety regulations, including labeling, nutrition facts, and allergen declarations.
- Optimize ingredient costs without compromising product quality or taste by evaluating alternative ingredients and production methods suitable for bulk food-service applications.
- Work with the Quality Control team to establish and maintain quality control procedures that guarantee product consistency and safety.
- Organize and conduct sensory panels and product trials with Culinary Managers and key institutional customers to assess product attributes, gather feedback, and implement improvements.
- Manage the full product development lifecycle from concept to launch, including timeline setting, resource allocation, testing, and progress tracking to meet Sales and customer expectations.
- Coordinate with Manufacturing to scale production from lab to commercial scale, ensuring packaging formats meet institutional and food-service needs.
- Partner with Procurement to identify and assess suppliers for ingredients and raw materials, ensuring adherence to quality and safety standards.
- Collaborate with Supply Chain and Manufacturing teams to explore sustainable sourcing and production methods aimed at reducing environmental impact.
- Maintain detailed documentation of recipe formulations, ingredient specifications, quality control processes, and regulatory compliance.
- Continuously improve existing food-service products and processes by incorporating feedback from Sales and Culinary teams to enhance quality, reduce costs, and increase efficiency.
- Support Culinary Experience Managers and Sales teams in translating new product concepts into practical menu applications and trial materials for customer demonstrations.
- Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices, with a focus on institutional/food-service and HORECA sectors through ongoing education and training.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline.
- 4 to 6 years of relevant experience in food product development, preferably within institutional or food-service sectors.

Preferred Qualifications

- Postgraduate degree in a relevant field with 2 to 3 years of experience.
- Strong understanding of food safety regulations and quality control standards.
- Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and complex product development projects.
- Knowledge of sustainable sourcing and production practices is an advantage.

This position is based at the Corporate Head Office in Karachi. National Foods Limited is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination based on age, color, origin, disability, race, religion, gender, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable laws.